DAY    1            DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight to Madrid.

DAY    2            ARRIVE MADRID - SEGOVIA - SALAMANCA
                          (5 NIGHTS HOMESTAY)
We will be met at the airport by our Tour manager/guide, where we will board our own private bus and journey to Segovia, a city of delicate spires and graceful towers. Our Walking Tour will take us through Spanish history as we view the 2000-year-old Roman Aqueduct, made with no mortar, then continue through the winding streets of medieval Segovia to visit the Cathedral, the last Gothic building constructed in Spain and resplendent with pinnacles and flying buttresses. Our final stop in Segovia will be the fairy tale fortress of the Alcazar where Columbus elicited funds from Ferdinand and Isabella for his journeys. We continue to Salamanca where we will meet our host families. Upon arrival in Salamanca, your guide will be pleased to take you on some introductory sightseeing through the city's picturesque and winding streets. Salamanca, known as "La Dorada" because of the golden stone used in its buildings, is the oldest university-city in Spain, where the long tradition of learning is still very much alive today. (Arrival day sightseeing is subject to flight arrival time.)

DAY    3            LANGUAGE CLASSES & SALAMANCA
This morning we will begin our Spanish Language Classes. After lunch, we will spend the remainder of the day exploring Salamanca, Spain's finest showcase of Renaissance and Plateresque architecture. We will explore the city center on foot, beginning in the Plaza Mayor, one of Spain's largest and grandest squares. In the center of the square, which was used for bullfights, is a statue to Felipe V. We will admire the plaza's harmonious blend of arcaded buildings and cafes, the Baroque town hall and the magnificent Royal Pavilion, from where the royal family used to watch events in the square. We will continue as we walk past the Iglesia de San Martin and La Casa de las Conchas before reaching the Universidad, founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX. We will enter the Patio de Escuelas to admire the Plateresque architectural style of the buildings surrounding the patio. We will enter the Escuelas Menores Building to view the huge zodiac fresco, The Salamanca Sky. We return to our host families for the evening.

DAY    4            LANGUAGE CLASSES & AVILA
This morning we will have our Spanish Language Classes. This afternoon we will travel to Avila, the highest provincial capital in Spain. We will begin our afternoon in the city center, which is surrounded by the finest preserved medieval walls in Europe. We will begin the afternoon with a visit to the Iglesia de San Vicente, Avila's most important Romanesque church. The features on the west door are amongst the most unique in all of Europe. We will conclude our afternoon with a visit to the Real Monasterio de Santo Tomas, famous for the beautifully crafted cloisters. On our way back to Salamanca, we will stop at Los Cuatro Postes for the best view of the medieval city walls. We return to our host families for the evening.

DAY    5            LANGUAGE CLASSES & SALAMANCA
This morning we will have our Spanish Language Classes. After lunch we will explore the Cathedral Vieja and Cathedral Nueva. The two cathedrals are unusually built side by side and offer a contrast in styles ranging from Romanesque and Renaissance to Baroque. Our day will conclude as we continue our walk past the Convento de las Duenas, the Iglesia-Convento de San Sebastian and the Torre del Clavero. For the rest of the afternoon, we will enjoy Salamanca at our leisure. We return to our host families for the evening.

DAY    6            LANGUAGE CLASSES & SIERRA DE GREDOS
This morning we will have our Spanish Language Classes. This afternoon we will venture into the Sierra de Gredos mountains. We will view the fascinating tiny villages lodged high atop the rugged peaks, and the Mombeltran, a 14th century castle. We will visit the Cuevas del Aguila, beautiful limestone caverns with frozen streams of calcite, ochre crystals and massive pillars. Our final stop today will be near El Tiemblo, where we will see the Toros de Guisando, four stone statues resembling bulls, believed to be of Celtiberian origin. We return to our host families for our "farewell" evening.

DAY    7            LANGUAGE CLASSES - EL ESCORIAL - MADRID (3 NIGHTS)
This morning we say "adios" to our host families and enjoy our fifth and final morning of Language Classes. After lunch we depart Salamanca and travel to Madrid. En route we will take a tour of El Escorial, the massive monastery-palace commissioned by Philip II, an impressive monument to 16th-century Spain. We will visit the Royal Apartments, many decorated with fine tapestries, and the austere rooms that once belonged to Philip II. The king was so religious that he had his quarters designed so that he could see the high altar from his bed. We will see the Pantheon of the Kings, which contains the mortal remains of all the Spanish monarchs from the time of the emperor Charles V, and the Pantheon of the Infants, where royal children were buried. We continue to our hotel in Madrid, Spain's cosmopolitan capital city. This evening we will take a stroll down the bustling Gran Via, one of Madrid's liveliest streets, and finest areas to shop.

DAY    8            MADRID (TREASURES OF THE BOURBON MONARCHS)
Our day will begin in the Plaza de Espana, where we will admire the stone obelisk dedicated to the Author Cervantes and the statues of Don Quixote, Sancho Panza and Dulcinea. We will walk from the Plaza along the gardens and statues that lead up to the richly decorated Palacio Real, the home of Spain's Bourbon monarchs until 1931. We will take a guided tour through the Gasparini Rooms, the Throne Room, the Porcelain Room and the grandiose Dining Room. We will also have time to visit the Pharmacy Museum and to relax in the Plaza de la Armeria. We continue our morning with a walk through the Plaza Mayor, Madrid's most famous square, lined with outdoor cafes, and the Puerta del Sol, Madrid's most popular meeting place. We will view the Kilometre Zero marker, which is the starting point for all of Spain's roadways, and see the Madrono, Madrid's symbol, a bronze statue of a bear reaching for the fruit of a strawberry tree. We will begin our afternoon at the Puerta de Alcala, the ceremonial gateway to Madrid erected by Carlos III. We will walk along the Calle de Alcala to the Plaza de Cibeles, featuring a magnificent fountain with a statue of the roman Goddess Cybele. We will continue along the beautiful Paseo del Prado, where we will admire the fantastic Hotel Ritz, with its amazing architecture, before visiting the Prado, one of the world's finest art museums. We will take a guided tour that will feature important works by Raphael, Roger van der Weyden, Bosch, Rubens, Titian, El Greco, Caravaggio, and of course the fabulous collection of works by Velazquez and Goya. This evening we will explore Madrid's Parque del Retiro, once the grounds of Felipe IV's royal palace complex, and today one of Madridians favorite places to relax. We will stroll through the park and view the Monument to Alfonso XII, the Palacio de Velazquez and the Palacio de Cristal, before hiring Row Boats on the lake.

DAY    9            DAY TRIP TO TOLEDO
This morning we travel to historic Toledo, picturesquely sited on a hill above the River Tagus. Our day commences with a Walking Tour to explore central Toledo, with streets barely wide enough for a man and his donkey. During our walk, we will have the opportunity to visit spectacular shops that produce and sell Damascene gold jewelry, as well as medieval swords. Our day continues with a brief visit to the Iglesia de Santo Tome, where we will view El Greco's masterpiece, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. Toledo is the capital of Sephardic Judaism and we will visit the Sinagoga del Transito, which features the most elaborate Mudejar architecture in Toledo. Our visit will also include the adjoining Museo Sefardi, with fascinating tombstones, costumes and sacred objects. We conclude our afternoon with a visit to the Toledo Cathedral, the spiritual heart of the Spanish church, and the seat of the Primate of all Spain. We return to Madrid for the evening.

DAY    10          DEPARTURE FROM MADRID
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as your guide accompanies you to the airport for the return flight home.